In celebration of its first year in business, Bender’s Rye Whiskey is thrilled to announce the release of its second batch already on shelves in California and Oregon. With a first batch distilled with 85% seven-year-old rye and 15% eight-year-old corn, Batch 1 presented a spicy craft rye with subtle and sweet hints of apricot and vanilla. The second batch is a blend of an older corn and rye mash with a modified mashbill of 92% nine-year-old rye and 8% eight-year-old corn for a more mature finish.

Looking back on our first year in business there were several milestones we’re pretty proud of. The first being that there seemed to be a demand for our rye. When Cohen and Bender first started the company is was as much a love affair with whiskey as it was an experiment and an opportunity to learn more about the industry. Shortly after the release of Batch 1, co-founder Christopher joked in an interview with KQED, “If this doesn’t work out, we’ll have a lifetime supply of something at least we really like”. Since then, Cohen and Bender have seen their first batch of 3,300 bottles show up at some of the most forward thinking bars and shops in California and Oregon. Bender’s has also been showcased on SFeater and at a number of events and fundraisers in the Bay Area.

In addition to introducing their second batch, Bender’s Rye is looking forward to further expansion in Colorado, Michigan, and Washington DC in the coming months. Cohen and Bender also have plans for a special edition anniversary batch of 100% nine-year-old rye whiskey.

Located at Treasure Island’s old Navy brig, Bender’s Rye Whiskey and it’s counterpart, Treasure Island Distillery possess a history unique to the San Francisco Bay Area. The distillery opened up the brig with the lab located in the former guard room and bottling taking place in the old cell room. Coupled with the icon backdrop of The Bay Bridge, the San Francisco skyline, Alcatraz, and The Golden Gate Bridge, the location is about as Bay Area as you can get.